Padawan Pack
by Dark Mistress of the Sith
Summary: After a fierce battle on Geonosis, Mira Rourke is a masterless padawan. She and four others are put into a padawan pack, the first created since the incident on Jabiim. But with clashing ideals and a leader dead set on avenging his master, Mira and the others find themselves caught in the middle of a battle that they aren't sure they can win.
1. Call the Retreat

**_Part I: Geonosis_**

* * *

_Chapter 1: Call the Retreat_

It's all Mira can do to keep running.

Her breath falters, her heart races. Her knees threaten to fall out from under her as her feet pound into the stiff Geonosian terrain. Explosions shake the ground; stray blaster shots whizz past her from every direction. She can barely see the azure blade of a lightsaber bobbing up and down in the dense mix of dust and fog that clouds her vision.

_Follow that saber_, she tells herself. _Just follow that saber…._

She's suddenly aware of the large body she's following sliding to a stop, the sapphire blade in its hand flicking upwards to block a battle droid's blaster fire. Her feet digging into the ground to stop her long stride, she struggles to slide to a stop but instead collides into the figure in front of her.

The figure's deep voice lightly chuckles through the Force. _I never thought I'd ever have to tell you to watch where you were going. _

_Apologies, master_, the padawan shoots back, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. _I was busy trying to keep my head from getting blown off._

Mira just barely sees Master Drackon plow through a few more battle droids before he disappears into the mist in front of her again. Using the light of his lightsaber as a guide, she keeps running forward, trying with everything in her to keep up with his long stride. Her jade lightsaber abruptly jerks upward, a red laser beam ricocheting from it and plunging into the chrome-plated chest of a super battle droid nearby. She pushes another into a long line of battle droids, spare parts and mechanical limbs flying in every direction.

As she follows him through the chaos, Mira feels her master's Force signature suddenly grow uneasy.

"Stay close to me!" Drackon shouts over the blasterfire, swiftly Force-jumping up and out of the heavy smog. Gathering every ounce of power she has, Mira springs after him, flying through the air effortlessly.

The landing, however, is not so graceful.

Dragging herself to her feet, Mira quickly wheels around, frantically looking around for her master. Fear wraps a grimy hand around her heart when her grey eyes don't immediately find what they're looking for.

"Master!" she barks, panic setting into her voice. "Master!"

_Could use some help right now, _Drackon replies dryly through the Force.

_Where are you?_

_See that squadron of destroyers at the edge of the cliff? _

Squinting into the Geonosian sun, Mira barely makes out the silhouette of seven or eight droidekas standing with shields up and cannons pointed at…

"Oh, _kriff_."

Without hesitation, Mira's long legs propel her towards the destroyers. Using the Force to launch herself into the air, she brings her lightsaber crashing down on top of one of the destroyers' shields, dismantling it. The droids answer with a volley of crimson lasers, of which she and her master both struggle to block.

One of the droids suddenly spins out of control and rams into the other four, reducing them all to a smoking scrap pile.

Her hand still outstretched, Mira's body is completely frozen, a surprised smirk fastened to her face. _Didn't expect that to work…. _

Drackon claps her on the shoulder. "That was a nifty little trick," he says, beaming with pride.

"Well, I learned from the best," Mira grins, bouncing his compliment back onto him. She brushes a piece of light brown hair out of her eyes and looks back up at her master.

He's staring off into the distance, eyes wide.

And the next second, he's plowing across the mesa again, his padawan on his heels.

_What is it?_ Mira queries through the Force.

They slide to a stop at the edge of the cliff and peer downward. Squinting into the mist, Mira can barely make out a handful of the 501st at the bottom of the cliff, wildly shooting at… something. Several of them are suddenly lifted into the air, almost above the dense cloud of Geonosian dust. The splintering crack of their bones smashing into the ground is deafening.

And the sudden pang of the Dark Side that wafts up the sheer mountainside makes Mira gag.

A long, glowing beam of red light punctures through the thick smog, tearing through the air and ripping into the chests of several more members of the 501st. Not but a second later, another crimson beam appears. And then another.

Mira's heart jumps into her throat. There's more than one of them.

"They need help," Drackon murmurs gravely.

Shifting her weight to the balls of her feet, Mira prepares for the ascent. She takes a sharp step forward, only to have Drackon grab her arm in restraint.

"I need you to stay here, Mira," he says firmly. "It's too dangerous down there for you."

"What about you?" Mira retorts. "Don't you think taking on a Sith lord by yourself is overshooting it a little?"

"There are two of them," Drackon corrects flatly. "And no, it won't be."

Mira's grey eyes bug.

"And there's why."

Following her master's finger, Mira squints into the dust cloud, at two azure lightsabers that move steadily closer to the brawl.

"Wait here," Drackon commands, reigniting his own saber and diving off the cliff.

A standard second passes. Two. Three. A minute. It might as well be eternity for Mira, whose signature is dripping with fear. The Dark Side continues to shoot up the cliff, tangling around her limbs. Shivering up her spine. Intensifying the dread that has frozen her heart. The padawan reaches out with the Force in a desperate attempt to connect to her master, but the connection only worsens her anxiety.

His strength falters. The Sith closes in, forcing the Jedi's back into the solid red wall of Geonosian rock that towers behind him.

And to her complete horror, Mira suddenly loses contact with him.

In a hurried panic, she turns over her shoulder and calls to a few nearby clones.

_I am going to get into so much trouble for this_.

"You four!" Mira barks, waving them to her. "Follow me!"

Her weight shifts to the balls of her feet, and Mira bolts across the plateau as fast as her legs will carry her, her white-armored companions on her tail. The rock disappears from beneath her; the dust envelopes her as her feet smack the ground and her lightsaber leaps into her hand.

Her vision blurred by the grimy fog, Mira reaches out with the Force in an attempt to locate her master. Squinting into the dust, she finally picks out a pocket of lightsabers, sapphire and crimson, clashing with each other and whirring through the air. She charges forward, dodging stray mechanical limbs as she goes.

A stream of the Dark Side rams into her chest, sending her flying backwards. Drifting into a dazed stupor and fighting to keep from blacking out, Mira slowly stands to her feet and moves forward, spells of dizziness and nausea ripping the strength from her body. She's close enough now that she can make out the silhouettes of Drackon and the Sith that's forcing him to the wall. The Sith's obsidian mass suddenly jerks upward, driving his knee into the Jedi's stomach.

Drackon lurches forward and collapses to the ground.

And the Sith brings a mass of giant Geonosian boulders crashing down on top of him.

Mira screams, terror freezing her body.

The Sith turns to face her, a nasty grin stretched across his black-striped face. Raising his hand into the air, he pounds the rubble into the ground again, the agonizing crunch of Drackon's bones piercing Mira's ears.

Her eyes flooding with tears, Mira tentatively reaches out with the Force to her master's battered signature.

_Mira_, it whispers.

A relieved smile stretches across Mira's face. He's still alive.

Barely.

_Hold on, master!_ Mira calls through their Force bond. _I'm coming!_

Without thinking, she sprints forward, her eyes never leaving the heap of rubble. Suddenly, she finds herself sailing through the air again, another harsh blitz from the Dark Side pushing her backwards.

Her body slams into the hard, packed ground, right at the feet of the Sith.

He's grinning wickedly down at her, the double-bladed lightsaber that rests in his giant hand droning ominously. Mira fights to push herself to her feet, but her shaking limbs buckle out from beneath her.

The Sith chuckles hoarsely, outstretching his hand a flexing his fingers. Finally scrambling to her feet, Mira can only watch in horror as the fluorescent blue glow of Sith lightening beads at his fingertips.

The Sith's hand jerks slightly upwards as the lightening is released, but it never hits its intended target. Two older Jedi have positioned themselves between the Sith and Mira, the younger of the two bombarding the Sith with a surprisingly aggressive attack. Even the double-bladed saber can't seem to keep up with his rapid onslaught.

"Where is your master, commander?" the older Jedi bellows over the chaos.

Drackon.

Tears nearly blinding her, Mira stumbles through the reinforcements that flood the battlefield, to the heap of rubble piled at the base of the cliff. With shaking hands, the padawan fumbles through the heavy mound of Geonosian rock.

A few sobs escape her when she lays eyes on her master.

His left arm is completely crushed, his hand is missing. His face is badly bruised; the top of his head is gushing blood from where the sharp rock impaled it.

Gingerly, Mira lays a hand on his shoulder and whispers, "Master?"

Drackon's blue eyes flicker open, his face contorted with pain. "Mira…."

Mira nods. "Yes, it's me." She forces a smile through her tears.

Drackon sharply inhales. "There are more Federation droids coming," he whispers. "You need to get out of here. The 501st won't be able to hold them off forever."

"I can't leave you here like this!"

Drackon slowly reaches up and grabs Mira's hand. "You've got to, Mira."

Mira shakes her head in disbelief, tears dripping from her eyes. She's vaguely aware that the older of the two Jedi is standing behind her, hurriedly shouting into a comlink and ordering a retreat.

"….Blast, Anakin!" he barks. "If you found another one, what in the blazes are you standing there for? Get her out of there! We need to retreat! Now!"

Mira suddenly feels a strong hand on her shaking shoulder.

"Go with him, Mira," Drackon murmurs. "He'll look after you."

"I can't—"

"Come with me, commander," the older Jedi says gently.

"No…"

A strong pair of arms wraps around her waist and begins to drag her away.

"No!" Mira screams. "Please, no!" Her body rocks with sobs. "Master!"

A LAAT lands nosily behind them, vibrating the ground and sending dust flying in every direction. The older Jedi barks a few orders at the clones that man the gunship, and the clones open fire into the haze. After the first volley, he pulls Mira with him onto the gunship. The clones fire into the dust again, and the LAAT takes off.

As the dust disappears and clean air pours into her lungs, a few raspy coughs tear at Mira's throat between sobs, and the padawan collapses to her knees. Her eyes clouded with tears and her body trembling, she's barely aware that someone is helping her to her feet. A gentle hand is laid on her shoulder.

"Commander," the older Jedi says softly. "Can you tell me what ha—"

Without thinking, Mira throws her arms around the Jedi's waist, sobbing into his shoulder and shaking violently. After a hesitance, she feels his arms wrap around her, his hand lightly patting her shoulder.

Finally, he pulls away, gently grasping the padawan's shoulders and looking her right in the eyes.

"Commander?" he asks sympathetically.

It's then Mira realizes who she's talking to, and her heart falls into her stomach.

"General Kenobi," she says with a sniff, hurriedly wiping the tears from her face. "I… I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done that had I known it was you. I… I just—"

"I know all too well what you're dealing with," the general cajoles, smiling reassuringly. "You've done nothing wrong, commander. I'm here if you need me."

Mira nods in appreciation. "Thank you, general."

The com in Kenobi's pocket begins to beep wildly. Keeping his hand on Mira's shoulder, he calls the com to his hand with the Force.

"Kenobi, here."

"Master," a worried voice barks. "I've got the commander on a gunship. We're heading out." He sighs. "She's not doing too well."

"Well, how is she?"

"Unconscious. I don't know if she's hurt or if she's just freaked out. But I might need a medical capsule when we get back." He pauses. "How's yours?"

Kenobi rolls the com into Mira's hand, much to her surprise. "I'm a little shaken up," she replies, "but I'm not hurt."

The man on the other side chuckles. "What's your name, commander?"

"Mira Rourke."

"Anakin Skywalker."

Mira beams. "It's an honor, general."

Anakin laughs softly, clearly amused. "You sure you're feeling alright? You sound a little breathless."

The commander chortles through her tears.

"Hang in there," Anakin bolsters. "We're almost back at base."

Mira grins. _Thank the Force._

The sound of canon fire suddenly breaks through the com.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan calls, a bit panicked. "What's going on over there?"

"Another Sith!" Anakin replies. "There're a couple of ours down there with him!" He shouts something towards one of his troopers. "Doesn't look like it's going too well for them."

Concern washes over Obi-Wan's features. Mira starts to feel a little sick.

"Kriff!" Anakin barks. "He got one of them! The master, it looks like." They barely hear him fairly scream, "Get him out of there, Snips! Quick!"

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan yells.

Silence.

"Anakin!"

Mira holds her breath.

"She got him, master," Anakin finally replies, relieved.

"Another padawan?" Obi-Wan queries.

"Affirmative." His voice is muffled in the com as he shouts to his troopers. "Give him some space, boys! Let him catch his breath." Sighing, Anakin turns back to his com. "I'm going to ask him what happened. I'll catch you up to speed later. Skywalker out."

Exhaling, Obi-Wan runs his hand through his russet hair.

"So I'm not the only one," Mira says tentatively.

Obi-Wan turns to look at her. "I'm afraid so."

"What are we going to do, then?"

A sigh escapes the sage's lips. "I don't know, commander. I just don't know."

* * *

**Note on the canon:** This story canon is a really weird AU crossover between the Star Wars movies and The Clone Wars TV show. I know they're technically the same canon (at least George Lucas seems to think so), but I called it a crossover just to be safe. I also consider the movie canon and TV show canon to be different (because they really are.)

Basically, while reading this story, just imagine what the TV show would look like if it were all live action. Example - you'd have a live action half-cyborg Maul (which would be TERRIFYING) and a live-action Savage, as well as a live-action Ahsoka. All the canon characters that are in both the movies and in TCW would also be live-action. Example - I'm not describing the cartoon versions of Anakin and Obi-Wan (and whoever the heck else might wind up in this), but the live actor versions of them (think Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, etc.)

Hopefully that made sense.

Anyways, thanks for popping in and checking out my story! :)


	2. The Others

_Chapter 2: The Others_

Standing in a crowded cave. Watching the holonet for a causality list. It's a standard procedure, Mira knows, but this time around, it's much more solemn that usual. The soft drone of the clone troopers' conversations usually echoes through the corridors of the underground base, but today, it is dead silent.

They've suffered a great loss today, and they know it.

Clone ID after clone ID scrolls down the screen, and the tension in the room skyrockets. Next to the seemingly perpetual list is footage of the battle. Every eye is glued to the screen; no one moves.

Suddenly, the names in the list switch over from the clone troopers to their Jedi leaders. Murmurs swiftly drift through the crowded room, and everyone holds their breath.

And as each name appears, footage of their fall is shown next to it.

Mira shuts her eyes and hangs her head, the deep brown of her hood almost completely covering her olive-skinned face. Reluctantly, she looks back up at the screen, and tears prick at the corners of her eyes when she does.

_General Fidavar Drackon_, the holo reads. _Eradicator: unknown_.

Footage of the duel with the Sith flashes on screen, and Mira turns away, the heat of unreleased tears hovering behind her grey eyes. She feels a hand on her shoulder from someone standing behind her.

"You, too?" an empathetic voice whispers.

Mira turns around, finding herself face to face with another Jedi, who looks to be about a year younger than she is. Her golden hair is swept back into a neat bun underneath her hood; her blue eyes shine empathetically.

A long, blonde braid peeks out from beneath the folds of her robes, gently draping over her slim shoulder.

"Commander Tessa Vullen," she says, her crisp voice laced with commiseration. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Another shocked buzz emulates through the room, and Mira peers over her shoulder at the holo again. A flaming gunship is on screen with several others racing in to help it. A Jedi is spotted standing on deck of one of the other LAATs, directing her clones to move closer to the inferno. Suddenly, the two gunships collide; both gas tanks burst into flames, and the ships explode.

Tessa's breath catches in her throat, and she sniffs.

Mira sighs. "I'm sorry for yours," she replies hesitantly.

Tessa manages a pursed-lipped smile. "Thank you, commander."

Mira grins. "You can call me Mira. I'm not much of a title person. Somebody calls me 'commander' and I feel like I'm in trouble."

Tessa chuckles. "Noted." The smile on her face fades into a concerned frown. "Force…" she mutters under her breath, her eyes wide with concern. "_Another_ one?"

Mira turns back around. Blurry footage of General Skywalker stepping out of a dense, black smoke carrying a large, brown bundle in his arms flashes across the screen. He looks over his shoulder and barks orders to his troops, a long piece of reddish-brown hair draping over his shoulder and a pair of arms desperately clinging to his back. He breaks into a sprint and disappears into the smog, several dozen clones covering him.

"The general," Mira whispers. "I talked to him just after this happened. He kept talking about that padawan he's holding." She sighs. "I hope she's alright."

Tessa nods. "As do I." She sighs. "For all of them."

"All of them?" Mira echoes, concern lacing her tired voice. "Kriff, how many were there?"

"Five, including us. One's master was shot down by a legion of assassin droids just before the LAAT incident. It was on screen just before yours was. The padawan couldn't have been older than thirteen."

Mira shakes her head. "Force help us. Is he alright?"

"Physically, yes. He came out almost without a scratch. But other than that, I honestly don't know." Tessa's attention is suddenly recaptured by the holo. "There's the fifth," she says slowly.

Hesitantly turning around, Mira draws in a deep breath as she refocuses on the screen. The light from a ferocious lightsaber duel bleeds through the center of a thick cloud of dust. A LAAT is hovering above it, kicking the filth out in all directions and pushing it away from the battle. Two Jedi appear, dueling another Force-user with a long, blood-red blade that nearly matches the tattoos that jut across his face.

Mira gapes. "It can't be…."

_ I thought he was dead!_

The Sith suddenly springs backwards and Force-pushes the younger Jedi into the bottom of the LAAT, his body ricocheting off the metal and falling motionlessly to the ground. With a sadistic smirk stretched across his face, the Sith turns to face the master. Azure and crimson blades interlock and whirr around each other for several long standard seconds before the Sith rams a cybernetic foot into the master's gut.

The Sith locks him into a Force-choke, lifts him off the ground, and cuts off his head. His lightsaber lands next to his injured padawan.

A loud cry of despair is barely heard from above the roar of the LAAT engines. With shaking knees, the padawan slowly begins to advance on the Dark Lord, but is swept off his feet by a blast of Force-lightning.

But before the Sith can get any closer, a young Togrutan leaps from the LAAT, reflects another barrage of Sith-lightning, wraps a grappling hook around the weakened padawan, and shoots back up to the gunship, the padawan in tow.

Mira's jaw is on the ground. Tessa is speechless. The members of the 501st hastily whisper back and forth to each other, shocked.

Mira's eyes drop to the floor, fractions of the conversation with General Skywalker flooding back into her mind. She can still hear him shouting to his men to give the newly-rescued padawan some space, still hear him hurriedly relaying what he saw into the comlink.

She shutters. _Seeing it on the holo is one thing, but to have actually been there when it happened…._

Slowly, she raises her eyes and scans the crowd of clones clustered around her. A hooded figure stands in the front of the throng, the fluorescent light from the holo eerily casting shadows across his scowling, tear-stained face. His arms are crossed across his chest, and his eyes are downcast. A dark brown padawan braid droops over his broad shoulder and peeks out from underneath his hood.

He suddenly catches Mira's gaze, returning it with a fierce glower set deep in his brown eyes. The pain in his face takes her aback, and she shyly casts her eyes back to the ground.

Suddenly, the beeping of several comlinks slices through the silence.

"Yes?" Mira answers.

Four others echo the same word around the room.

"Commanders," a familiar voice replies. "Your presence is requested in the west wing. General Skywalker and I have something urgent to speak with you about."


	3. The Pack

**HUGE thank you to froovygirl and Skywalker's Phantom for dropping in and reviewing! Y'all put the awesome in awesomesauce! :D **

* * *

_Chapter 3: The Pack _

"Well," Tessa sighs. "I guess we have somewhere to be." She quickly tucks her comlink back into the recesses of her cloak and smoothes the front of her robes. Her silhouette moves across the blue-lit room and stops.

"Coming?" she asks over her shoulder.

Mira's eyes are fixed on something across the chamber.

"Mira?"

Shaking the daze that had overcome her, Mira snaps back into reality. "Yeah," she says breathlessly, taking her hood down and following Tessa out into a long, cavernous hallway.

Stalagmites jut out from the floors, a few connecting to the tunnel's ceiling. A warmer light seeps into the entrance to the hallway, and Mira blinks as she trots to catch up with Tessa.

She glances at the golden haired padawan and finds a smile stretched across her fair-skinned face.

"What?" Mira asks.

"It just hit me who the man on the other side of the com was," Tessa says excitedly. "And who we are about to come into contact with." She sighs, shaking her head a bit as her pace quickens. "This is a _huge_ honor, Mira, one that I have dreamed of receiving for most of my career."

Mira grins. "It really is. I was pretty flabbergasted when I realized who pulled me off the battlefield." She pauses, and a little bit of embarrassment brightens her face. "Especially after I grabbed him and bawled like a baby into his shoulder."

Tessa snickers. "How did that end?"

"I wasn't demoted, so well, I guess. He was very understanding."

"So I've heard. And you said you spoke with General Skywalker. What is he like?"

Two durasteel doors appear in front of the two padawans as they round the corner.

"I guess you're about to find out," Mira replies, a hint of nervousness beginning to knot in her stomach. She lets out a long breath and tries to gather her thoughts before reaching for the doors' control panel.

A few excited voices burst down the hallway, and she jerks her hand away and spins around. Two young padawans are hastily coming towards them, with a much older, much larger one looming behind them.

"Jix, I don't think you're getting how crazy this is!" one of the padawans gushes enthusiastically. "_My_ tears are on _his_ shoulder!" Her voice lowers. "And a little bit of my snot, too, but that's beside the point!" A large grin shoots across her face. "Mighty blasters," she sighs loudly.

"I can't compete with that," the second padawan says to himself, throwing his hands in the air in defeat. He wheels around to face the commander behind him. "Targon, how am I supposed to compete with that?"

"You _don't_," the third padawan snaps from across the hallway. "Now shut up."

"Wow," the second padawan mumbles. "Nice guy."

"Commanders…?" Tessa says hesitantly.

"Oh, excuse me!" the first padawan exclaims. "I didn't see you there." A bright smile stretches across her face, her brown eyes sparkling. "Commander Rikki Win-Dell," she introduces, shaking hands with Tessa.

"Tessa Vullen," is the slightly taken aback response. She waves towards her silent comrade. "This is Commander Mira Rourke."

Rikki smiles, tossing a piece of her dark reddish-brown hair out her face as she shakes Mira's hand. "Nice to finally meet you two."

The second padawan clears his throat.

"Oh, and this nerfherder is Commander Jix Thanewulf."

A cocky grin sprawls across Jix's face. "Hey."

"Commander," Mira acknowledges.

"Call me Jix, sweetheart."

An aggravated sigh rumbles from behind them. "_Not_ funny, Thanewulf," a deep voice growls.

"He's behind me, isn't he?" Jix fairly squeaks.

"No," is the annoyed reply. "I'm not." The tension loosens in his voice. "Ignore him," he adds, looking at Mira. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Mira stifles a smile and meets the padawan's gaze. The face staring back at her is bruised, burned, and scarred, with a square jaw and deep brown eyes.

It suddenly hits her that she's looking into the same hardened face that she saw in the command center.

"Commander Kyle Targon," he says curtly, firmly shaking Mira's hand. "We should probably head inside."

The doors slide open with a hiss, and the five padawans file inside.

"There you are," General Kenobi greets. "I trust you've been introduced."

"We have," Tessa replies formally.

"For better or for worse," Kyle adds under his breath, glaring sharply at Jix.

"Good," General Skywalker cuts in, pulling up a chair. "You're going to be seeing a lot of each other in the future. Go ahead and sit. We might be in here for a while."

Mira's heart starts pounding.

"Now," Anakin continues, leaning forward on his elbows. "I know today has been hard on all of you. It's been hard on the two of us, too. It's been a few years since I've seen casualties this heavy." He sighs. "But that's just part of the command. You have good days and you have bad days. It's learning from the bad days and pushing forward that's the hardest part of all. Trust me. I know that from my own experience. And I can honestly say that if I didn't have Obi-Wan or the rest of my command going through it with me, I might not be sitting here right now."

"Wars are not fought by one person for a reason," General Kenobi cuts in. "Even if it seems desperate or crazy, always stay with your wingman. Wing_men_, in your case."

Five hearts simultaneously drop into stomachs, and the tension in the room skyrockets.

"Master," Tessa uneasily breaks the silence. "I mean no disrespect, but the first time a pack was created, it didn't exactly end well. There were no survivors."

"There was one," Anakin replies. "Me. And I definitely wouldn't have made it had I been by myself. And Obi-Wan and I will be here with you, an advantage that we didn't have on Jabiim. We're not here to feed you to the sarlacc, commanders. We're trying to save you from it."

"And this will only be temporary," Obi-Wan adds. "At least until we can figure out what to do with you. As much as I would love to send you back home to Coruscant, this campaign cannot afford to lose you. Any of you."

Anakin nods in agreement, and the five commanders uneasily look back and forth at each other.

"So…" Kyle starts. "You're putting us with people we barely know and are somehow expecting us to survive? Because that worked _really_ well the first time."

Anakin sighs. "This is the best we can do right now, commander," he says, a don't-question-it edge hardening his voice. "We just need you to cooperate."

Mira's heart stops. Squeezing her eyes shut, she heaves a long, shaky sigh. General Skywalker continues to deliver more instructions, but Mira doesn't hear them. Fear's frigid voice echoes through her mind, sending chills down her spine and turning her heart to a block of ice.

"…and because he's been out here the longest, he'd probably be the best choice."

"Me?" Kyle nearly snaps, panic set heavily in his voice.

"You've the most experience," Obi-Wan rebuttals. "The others could benefit from your wisdom."

The padawan stares at his feet, speechless. Taking a deep breath, he squares his broad shoulders, lifts his head, and nods. "Yes, master."

Anakin grabs his shoulder. "Protect them," he orders. "That is your priority. Be the first one in the charge and the last in the retreat. You _look after them_. They're counting on you to get them home to Coruscant safely."

"Understood, master."

"And the rest of you. You're to follow him at all costs. Don't do anything he tells you not to; do everything he tells you to. Understood?"

Rikki and Jix are both bug-eyed with shock. Tessa sharply inhales.

Mira slowly nods. "Yes, master."

"However," Anakin adds, walking across the room to Kyle. "You're not to order _anything_ without us knowing it and approving it first. Ignore that, and you've got a one-way ticket to a court marshalling."

"We've given you a great responsibility," Obi-Wan continues. "As well as a great honor. Don't squander it."

Anakin claps Kyle on the back. "Make us proud, Targon, not sorry."

Kyle nods.

Anakin turns to the rest of the pack. "Your second briefing is tomorrow morning. We'll see you then."

Obi-Wan smiles. "Now go get some rest. Force knows you all need it."

The two generals head for the door.

"You are dismissed, commanders," Anakin says. He turns around and strides down the hallway, Obi-Wan on his heels, calling to Captain Rex as he goes.

"Well," Jix sighs, pushing his chair back and stretching, "I think I'm gonna go take a nap."

"I need food," Rikki says. "Anybody wanna come with me?"

Suddenly, the doors slam shut, and the lock turns.

"No one is going anywhere," Kyle commands. "Not until we're done here."

Tessa crosses her arms. "General Skywalker just dismissed us."

"But _I_ didn't. Sit."

The four cautiously make their way across the room, back to the chairs they had been sitting in.

"We have something important to discuss," Kyle nearly growls. "And _nothing_ is to leave this room."


	4. Commander Targon

**Kudos to Skywalker's Phantom for betaing (this chapter was a beast) and to froovygirl for her review! You guys are the biggest reason that I finished this chapter. ;) **

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_Chapter 4: Commander Targon_

"Make this quick, Targon," Rikki quips, arms tightly crossed over her chest. "I'm starving."

Kyle sharply raises an eyebrow, the glower that glazes over his deep brown eyes sending a swift warning to the defiant padawan that sits in front of him. "You won't speak unless you're spoken to," he snaps.

"So what's this about?" Mira tentatively asks, not daring to look the seething commander in the eye.

Kyle's body rigidly tenses as he pulls a small device from his pocket. He wordlessly holds it out in front of his leery comrades, the familiar hologram of a certain cyborg Sith jutting from the top of it.

"This is the Sith-spit that killed my master," Kyle discloses, his voice lethal.

A disbelieving smirk shoots across Jix's face. "I think you've lost it, Targon," he says, his voice laced with a suppressed snicker. "Maul's dead. He's _been_ dead."

"No," Kyle replies, a deadly smile stretching across his face. "But he will be once I'm done with him."

Mira's heart jumps into her throat.

Tessa's brow furrows. "What are you suggesting, commander?"

"We give him some time to cool off," Kyle starts. "To get settled. Then we'll hunt him down and make him wish he'd never been born."

"So you wanna get even," Jix says, letting out a nervous breath. "And the rest of us fit into this how?"

"You're the diversion."

Mira's heart stops.

Rikki's jaw drops. "What?"

Tessa jumps to her feet. "This is ridiculous, Targon!" she shouts. "Absolutely ridiculous! And not to mention against the Code."

Kyle's heated stare bores into Tessa's eyes as he stiffly stands. "You really think I give a kriff about the Code right now?" he growls, massaging his hand into his sore back. "If you do, you're gravely mistaken."

Silence.

"What about the other one?" Rikki adds.

"What other one?" Kyle snaps.

"Maul has a brother," Mira explains. "He killed Drackon. What happens if we run into him?"

"We'll kill him," Kyle says flatly.

"It's not going to be that simple, Targon," Tessa retorts. "Drackon was one of the best in the Order, and Opress crushed him like he was made of glass. You saw the Holo."

"We'll have the element of surprise."

"You can't sneak up on a Sith Lord, commander," Mira says timidly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know. I _tried_. And I almost didn't live to see the end of it."

"And we're just padawans," Jix points out. "We try to take on Maul and Opress by ourselves and we're bantha poodoo."

"_You're_ not doing the fighting, Thanewulf," Kyle sharply corrects. "Leave that to me. I just need you to keep Opress distracted."

"And you think you're gonna beat Maul by yourself," Jix says snidely. "You're funny, Targon. Real funny."

"I won't be alone. I'll have Rourke with me. You and Win-Dell will take some of the boys to the other side and attack from the rear."

"Me on a battle front?!" Rikki bursts. "The last time I was out there by myself, I almost died. We _all_ almost died. And yet you wanna go at it again. _Alone_. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the last time you charged at a Sith, you got fried. And you wouldn't be here if Tano hadn't been there to scoop you up last second. The chances of that happening again are so low it's almost funny." She sighs sharply. "I thought we were supposed to be flying home in Delta 7s, Targon, not body bags."

"Exactly!" Tessa supports. Jix nods furiously.

Kyle turns. "What about you, Rourke? You think I'm out to get you killed?"

Mira stares at the ground, any attempt to stand up for herself dying on her shy tongue.

"No," Kyle finishes sharply. "You don't. And I'm not. I'll see you all in the hanger in an hour."

"Targon?" Tessa asks sharply.

"What?" Kyle snaps, his glare daring the other padawan to challenge him again.

"You've given everyone else their instructions. What do you want me to do?"

"You're the scout, Vullen. You're sneaky and wickedly smart. You've got a reputation for stealth back home. Time for you to live up to it."

"And how do you want us to move in?"

"We'll hit the ground first, and then once we're in, we'll call in the boys."

Tessa sighs. "That will never work."

"Why not?"

"Maul and his posse hunt like a pack of Tusken Raiders," Tessa explains. "They start by picking of the weakest and they work their way up. That means no matter where we go, we're prime targets."

"Are you calling me weak?"

"No. But compared to the Generals or a legion of a couple hundred clones, you don't stand a chance against Maul."

Kyle crosses his arms. "Why not?" he challenges.

Rikki groans. "He's half-cyborg and six-foot ridiculous!" she cries. "And not to mention a Sith-Alchemist. The dude _drips_ with the Dark Side. If you or any of us try to duke it out with him, he'd break us like he was breaking a couple of toothpicks. You know that. He almost did it to you after he did it to Master Writte."

Kyle sighs, his eyes flashing with heated grief. "I'll see you all in the hangar in an hour," he repeats, anger steadily rising in his tired voice.

"But—" Jix starts.

"That's an order, commander!" Kyle barks. He shuts his eyes and quickly sighs. "Eighteen hours on the dot," he says, his voice softer. "Don't be late."

Tessa huffs. "Fine then," she says, taking a threatening step towards Kyle. "But I hope you're prepared to explain this break of protocol to the Council if we return."

The two glare at each other, neither person daring to drop their eyes.

"You're dismissed, commanders," Kyle finally growls.

Tessa sharply turns on her heel and storms through the door, a nervous Rikki and Jix on her heels.

Mira slowly stands from her chair and heads for the door, completely dumbfounded and terrified beyond belief. As her feet drag across the floor, she tries to block the intense fear that has started to infiltrate her mind. Closing her eyes tightly, she lets out a long sigh, something she had often seen Drackon do when he was stressed.

But when she opens her eyes and looks over her shoulder, she finds Kyle slumped in a chair with his head in his hands, his Force signature a tidal wave of raw emotions.

Grief. Despair. Confusion.

But mostly sheer terror.

Mira's brow furrows. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, commander?" she asks softly, a bit of her concern softening her voice.

Kyle sighs. "Just go," he nearly whimpers.

Hesitantly, Mira moves away from the door and down the hallway, so deep in worried thought that she nearly runs into one of the 501st's best.

"Hey there, tough stuff," Ahsoka chimes sympathetically. "You doing okay?"

Mira sighs. "I guess I am."

Ahsoka grins and claps Mira on the back. "You hang there, commander. And if you need anything, you know where to find me. Pick your head up. It'll be okay."

Mira forces a smile.

If only she could believe that.

"You can always come and get me if you need me," the young Togrutan offers.

"Thanks, commander."

"Don't mention it. And you can call me Ahsoka."

Her com beeps.

"Where are you, Snips?" Anakin calls over.

"Hallway," Ahsoka replies. "I'll be right there." She turns to Mira. "I'll catch you later, Rourke," she says, briskly turning on her heel and walking away.

Mira nods. Her eyes drift to the open door behind her, the smile on her face fading into a worried frown.

Kyle hasn't moved a muscle; the torrent of confused emotion still rolls off his signature. Mira mostly feels like he deserves the pain for being so demanding. But a small part of her wants to go to him and try to console him.

Despite the fact that she may hate him to the marrow of his bones at the moment.

Slowly, Kyle stands, holding his back and grimacing. His terrified eyes meet and lock with Mira's before he edges across the floor.

Now he's standing in front of her, towering over her.

Mira's eyes drop.

"Go get some rest, commander," he says softly, trying to erase any hints of weakness from his voice. "There isn't much time before we have to leave."

Mira can only nod.

And as she watches him walk away, she wishes she would have had the nerve to say something.


End file.
